At the first glance the photo creates a dialectical opposition: The more the little wood-carved tree with the star on top is singled out by selective focus, the more the out of focus background, presumably a Christmas tree, is attracting interest because of its peculiar appearance. Thus, against to the aim of the selective focus technique, the peculiarly interesting entity in the rear is equally singled out. These formal aspects may explain why the photo is immediately pleasing.

But it’s not only the subject matter that is appealing because of its composition and technique, it’s also the potential of the image that invites the viewer to read it imaginatively. The lights of the Christmas tree behind the star on top of the little tree have turned into light circles – what can that mean? They remind me of one of Grimms’ Fairy Tales, The Star Talers. A poor orphaned girl gives away everything she has to help others; then stars, changed into talers, fall to earth before her to reward her kindheartedness. The tale of the "currency of heaven", as it were, goes well with Christmas. It’s up to our understanding and to our behavior whether Christmas is a self-rewarding time in which we bethink of what is really worthwhile in life.